Looking over my finances and paying some bills yesterday afternoon prompted me to finally take action on the cable TV expense that has been causing me angst ever since I left my job. Over the past five years our bill has gradually crept up from about $97 per month to more than $122 per month for high speed internet access with digital cable. We gave up traveling and eating out long ago, and it was the only luxury we still enjoyed. But $122 per month was a ridiculous amount to pay for something we barely used. So, yesterday I called up our provider and ditched our service.
Most of my friends have had luck getting their bill lowered by calling the company annually and threatening to cancel. First, I asked the rep to quote me a price for standard cable, but I was told that the price would remain the same even though I wouldn’t have as many channels. Next, I asked her to quote a price for basic cable and internet access, which turned out to be $60 per month, or less than half what I was paying. The rep offered to drop my bill for my current service down to $93, but that was still a hefty price tag and I knew it wouldn’t last. So, I opted for basic cable at a small extra cost on top of the internet service we already have.
I felt a little bit crazy and impulsive after hanging up the phone–although I grew up without cable TV, I’ve always had it as an adult. I also felt a little bit sad because it was a formal acknowledgment that times are tough. But after a little while I felt more liberated than sad. The extra $60 per month I’m saving can pay for a week of groceries. I will no longer flip through hundreds of channels when I’m bored. Mr. Boy watches a couple of shows on PBS in the morning, and that’s it, so he won’t miss it. Hubby enjoys watching survival shows (personally I won’t miss the bug-eating) and sports, but hopefully the internet will make up some of the difference. As for me, I will miss HGTV and The Food Network, which I liked to have on in the background while I was working. I also enjoyed watching old movies when I had a chance. I’m going to make up for my loss by signing up with Netflix.
Overall, I don’t think we are going to miss cable TV. I certainly won’t miss the monthly bill! It would be nice if the much talked about a la carte service became a reality so we could pay for only the channels we use, but until then I am happy to do without!
Are you guys w/ Time Warner? I would add basic cable for $60, we already pay $50 for just the internet… I’d been holding out for the a la carte option myself. I hate that they make the decision about what channels I get seeing as how little we actually watch. It annoys me that PBS isn’t part of the package, too.
Yep, we’re with TimeWarner. I figured $10 per month for TV is something I can do 🙂
Good for you, Jen! I’m sure after an adjustment period, you’ll be happier without it.
I’m a movie-holic, there’s no way I could give up my cable. Well, I could if forced. I like Netflix but we watch them too fast.
Good for you! I think that is an excellent move. I really wish they would do the a la carte services too. I mean, I only watch a handful of channels (but of course they are all of the cable channels).
It is amazing how high cable bills are now! It was free to watch TV when I was a kid (of course we had 5 channels lol).
I have really been considering this as well! With sites like Hulu and Netflix, any shows that I just HAD to see, I can watch online instead of listening to the TV drone on all day long.
Maybe I’ll call. 🙂
Go for it! We really have not missed it a bit, and I haven’t even ordered Netflix yet.
Hi Jen! It’s Jen E. from Petunia Blossoms. I love what you did with the new layout! I do miss your graphic with you holding your SS and your son in his Radio Flyer car… I too, am in agony over canceling our cable TV, since I quit my job to go back to school full-time (remember? thanks for helping me make the leap). Our cable bill has crept up from $70 to $100 per month! I’m so busy that rarely watch TV, and hubby mostly surfs TV without really watching shows. But we like the cable internet and to be honest I will miss my Bravo reality shows (Real Housewives drama is my guilty pleasure, shhh! 😉 But Netflix is a great deal! I’m so proud of you for making the call and just going for basic TV. You’re giving me the courage to do the same.
Thanks Jen! 🙂 I will miss the old graphics too, but I felt like a change. It’s tough when you have to give up a favorite show, but if the bill is stressing you out then it’s totally worth it. Good luck with school!
My fiancee and I haven’t had actual cable service for over a year, now.
We opted long ago to cut out our cable bill because it was eating way too much of our money, for way too little of our time. We bought a digital antenna for our flat screen television and have been living off of 13 channels and Netflix on our blu-ray player ever since.
I was never big on watching TV, but it was hard for my fiancee to give up her “trashy television”, as she calls it.
We originally thought that, at one point, we would have cable again, but I have decided that I may never need to pay for television again.
Great article, Jen!
Thank you Sawyer! I haven’t missed cable TV at all. I’m so glad I decided to get rid of that big bill.